up until you’ve done whatever it is, do you?’
‘I try not to, though sometimes I haven’t been able to beat the challenge. I really couldn’t get the hang of roller skating, so ice skating was a definite no-no.’
‘Noted.’ He looked thoughtful. ‘You know, we could get juggling into a routine. A circus theme for the jive, maybe. I’ll think about it.’
‘I’m in your hands.’ Then she realised how cheesy that sounded. ‘Not that I was coming on to you,’ she added swiftly.
‘Of course not.’
Polly glanced at her watch, and was surprised by how late it was. ‘I’d better go home.’
‘I’ll drive you.’
‘No, it’s fine. I can take the Tube, and I’m sure you have other things to do anyway.’
‘I do have some paperwork to go through,’ he admitted. ‘But I don’t want you walking anywhere. It’s pouring with rain. I’ll call you a cab—and don’t argue. If you’re sneezing your way through the routine next Saturday, you’re not going to enjoy it, are you?’
And if she was distracted by fighting off some bug or other, she was more likely to go wrong following the steps of the routine. She wasn’t naïve enough to think that his concern was all for her. ‘I guess you have a point. Thank you.’
He rang the taxi company. When he put the phone down, he said, ‘They’ll be here in fifteen minutes.’
‘Thank you.’
They looked at one another in silence for a moment and the atmosphere became charged. Liam thought of something quickly to say.
‘So, our training tomorrow. Does the afternoon work for you? It’ll give me a chance to sort out a new routine in the morning.’
‘I’m sorry about that.’ Deciding to be brave, she lifted her chin. ‘Look, I can give your original routine a go.’
‘To the song you planned as the first dance at your wedding reception?’ He shook his head. ‘I’m not going to put you through that. Anyway, as I said, I like choreographing. Is “Beyond the Sea” OK for you?’ He hummed the first few bars of the old Bobby Darin song.
Recognising it, Polly remembered that they’d danced to it before. ‘That’s absolutely fine.’
‘Good.’
Then the intercom buzzed. ‘That’s your taxi.’
‘OK. I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon.’ She paused. ‘And thank you for this evening.’ For not letting her go home to a lonely, empty flat.
‘No worries. I’ll see you downstairs.’
‘There’s no need, really. I think I can just about manage a couple of flights of stairs.’
‘You can manage anything you put your mind to. And that includes nailing our routine.’
Liam really intended just to shake her hand. In a brotherly way. Except he found himself dipping his head and kissing her on the cheek. Hesitant, a little awkward; but her skin was so soft around his lips, and he could smell that sweet, fresh, floral scent she wore. He couldn’t resist the temptation to linger. And he only just managed to stop himself kissing a line from her cheek to the corner of her mouth—and then taking it further.
The kiss on the cheek was just like any of the team on Monday Mash-up would have done.
Except this didn’t feel like a brotherly kiss. Where Liam’s lips touched Polly’s skin, they made every nerve-end tingle.
Though she was just being ridiculous, she told herself on the way home in the taxi. Nice Liam wasn’t just for the cameras; she had a feeling that that was who he really was. Who he’d always been. But the accident and Bianca’s betrayal had made him grow a shell to cover up that niceness. Being Mr Snippy meant that he didn’t let people close to him—and that in turn meant he wouldn’t get hurt.
The fact that he was starting to open up to her, be Nice Liam again … Well, if he wanted her to trust him, he had to trust her, too. Maybe he’d worked that out for himself.
And she was overanalysing things. Overreacting to a kiss that hadn’t meant anything more than it would’ve done from Danny, Mike or Charlie. She was stupid to wish for more; or maybe she was just overemotional and mixed-up, given what today should’ve been.
She let herself into the flat. Although it was tiny, it felt empty.
‘Polly Anna Adams, don’t you dare be so wet,’ she told herself.
And she wasn’t going to let herself think about what Harry was doing tonight.
At all.
On Sunday, Polly arrived at Liam’s studio in the afternoon, as they’d arranged.
Would he mention the kiss? she wondered. Would it have changed things between them? Would he throw up a huge brick wall between them?
His expression was unreadable. She really wasn’t sure which way this was going to go. His eyes narrowed slightly, as if he’d noticed the shadows beneath her eyes; but then he seemed to switch into professional mode.
‘Ready for the routine?’ he asked.
‘Sure,’ she said, glad to follow his lead. Glad that he wasn’t going to overanalyse that kiss on her cheek—she’d already done that more than enough.
The music was upbeat, lively and fun. He broke the routine down into segments for her and talked her through the steps.
‘I can’t believe you’ve put this routine together so quickly.’
He shrugged off the compliment, though a glitter in those gorgeous navy blue eyes told her that he was pleased. ‘I told you I liked choreographing.’
The training session went incredibly quickly; at the end, Liam said, ‘I’ve been thinking. You really ought to go to the wardrobe department tomorrow afternoon to sort out your dress for Saturday. And it might be useful to practise the last few days of the routine in a skirt, so wearing the costume doesn’t throw you on the night.’
Polly bit her lip. The wardrobe department. They’d styled her as Audrey Hepburn, last time; hopefully this time they’d give her a pair of long gloves again, or if not then a dress with long sleeves. Or maybe she could tell them she was superstitious and she’d get stage fright with short sleeves …
Though she knew that Liam wouldn’t buy that. Eventually, he’d ask why she always covered her wrists. But she couldn’t face telling him the shameful truth.
She cleared her throat. ‘Were you planning to go with me?’
‘I’m teaching the cast a new routine tomorrow. If you’re desperate for a second opinion, I can probably spare you five minutes. But the show’s been running for six years, now, and Rhoda in the wardrobe department’s very experienced. You’ll be fine.’
‘So
